Battery terminal protector



June 17, 1941.

J. A. NEWHOUSE ,246,060 BATTERY TERMINAL PROTECTOR Filed July 3, 1940 Zhwentor JasephA. Ne whouae,

Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY TERMINAL PROTECTOR Joseph A. Newhouse, Waterloo, Iowa Application July 3, 1940, Serial No. 343,796

1 Claim.

This invention relates to battery terminal protectors, and the object of the invention is to provide a protector for a battery terminal to inclose the lower part thereof and prevent corrosion thereof and of the battery chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multipartite washer apertured to seat around the battery terminal, and whose superposed layers are composed of differential insulating substances, which layers are surrounded by non-conducting covers, as a protector of the terminal against corrosion, of an acid nature.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and consists in novel constructions which are hereinafter described and claimed.

Fig. 1 is a top plan of a portion of a battery chamber with a part broken away, and showing mounted on the chamber a compound insulating washer together with a clamping device therefor on the projecting part of the battery terminal and. in circuit with an incased conductor which is broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said connected elements, and Fig. 3 is a diametrical cross section of the centrally hollowed compound insulating washer, shown on a larger scale.

The numeral 1 denotes a broken away corner part of the battery chamber, showing the protruding battery terminal 2 surrounded at its lower part by said compound insulating washer 8 contacting therewith, and also showing a covered electric cable at 6 and seated in a housing part for the cable termination having a resilient lateral clamp 3, whose outer members 4 are adjustably connected together by a bolt 5 and a nut 6 on its threaded termination.

The washer 8 shown in said Fig. 3, in diametrical cross section, has a central hole 8a to fit around the lower portion of the terminal 2 and resting upon the top of the battery chamber l. The washer is completely covered by a relatively thin non-conducting cover M, of tar or other non-conducting substance, including the inner wall of the central bore of the washer, as at 8a. This cover, with its adhesive coating, also insulates the chamber from the conductor 6.

The three superposed layers of different nonconducting substances are shown in Fig. 3, at 9,

lating character, while reinforcing each other in repelling penetration of the washer by moisture or other penetrating agents. The layers as cemented together produce a solid mass, durable and preventing current leakage therethrough.

The uppermost layer 9 is composed of porous paper impregnated by light mineral oil. The middle layer I0 is composed of fiber heavily mixed with tar. The lowermost layer II is of porous paper impregnated throughout by any neutralizing agent, such as an alkali. In joint action, these layers prevent entrance of moisture and are impervious to acid.

These washers outlast the life of the battery, as they are impervious to acid corrosion, as proven by constant use in practice,

It will be understood, that the number of insulating layers may be increased, or more limited in number, shape and adaptation to be used with other specific combinations of battery terminals with connected conductors, without departing from this invention or the scope of the appended claim.

It is further stated, that the incasing of the apertured insulating blocks 9, l0 and H by a relatively thin coating of tar between them, and also within and without, separably insulates the blocks from each other narrowly as shown in Fig. 3. The thin coatings of tar will ordinarily remain intact in use in cementing the blocks to each other, to the traversing terminal also and cementing the basal block I I to the top wall of the battery casing. However, when said blocks are together with said casing in and near a motor, under a hood of an automobile or the like, and the vehicle is running at relatively high speed, a higher degree of heat is penned up within the hood, such as might liqueiy the tar layers between and without the spaced blocks, and so escape, leaving the blocks more or less uncovered. In that event the tiers of insulating materials are exposed to the heat, but remain in a solid condition to'eifect substantially the insulating of the terminal and contacting battery casing, and until an exchange may be made of the blocks so denuded when found necessary. If the tar used thus escapes due to overheating, when no insulating core supports the body of tar thus liquefied, the battery acid may escape and corrode the casing and terminal. The difiering insulating materials within the blocks of porous fiber or the like will act cooperatively to insulate the terminal from the battery casing and to prevent leakage of acid under normal use substances in layers separated by slightly fiowable viscous tar coatings and the layers from the top downwardly also coated by tar in completely incasing them therewith, the tar also insulating said layers from the battery receptacle and the electric terminal, the respective layers of substances impregnated by diiferent kinds of insulating substances, consisting in the uppermost block of light mineral oil, the medial block saturated by tar, and the lowermost block impregnated by an insulating alkaline neutralizing agent.

JOSEPH A. NEWHOUSE. 

